MHA’s Critical Access Hospital Network Meets, Visits With Legislators
Leaders from Missouri’s critical access hospitals gathered April 15 in Jefferson City, Mo., for a Critical Access Hospital Network meeting hosted by the Missouri Hospital Association. During the full-day meeting, attendees learned about updates on several health care initiatives, met for collaborative discussions and visited with their state lawmakers.
Members of MHA’s senior leadership team provided attendees with updates on the Rural Health Transformation Program and workplace safety. Following a legislative briefing, MHA’s governmental relations team and CAH leaders traveled to the Missouri State Capitol to meet with legislators and discuss sustaining access to care in rural communities.
The CAH Network is an MHA engagement group that supports rural hospitals through education, collaboration and advocacy.
“Meetings like this one reinforce MHA’s commitment to strengthening Missouri’s rural health care system and ensuring that critical access hospitals remain positioned to meet the needs of their communities,” said Nate Blackford, MHA’s senior vice president of membership services.
The following Missouri CAH leaders attended the meeting.
- Don Carpenter, CEO, Cedar County Memorial Hospital
- Karla Clubine, CEO, Pershing Health System
- Valerie Davis, administrator, Mercy Hospital Aurora, Mercy Hospital Carthage and Mercy St. Francis Hospital
- Kristen DeHart, CEO, Excelsior Springs Hospital
- Belinda Farmer, administrator, Mercy Hospital Carthage
- Martha Gragg, CEO, Sullivan County Memorial Hospital
- William Hellebusch, administrator, Hermann Area District Hospital
- Nikki Hendren, COO, Harrison County Community Hospital
- Steve Henson, CEO, Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital
- Chris Lang, CEO, Cass Regional Medical Center
- Lisa Lochner, president, Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital
- Michele Meyer, CEO, Washington County Memorial Hospital
- Tylie Mills, CEO, Pike County Memorial Hospital
- Blake Riley, COO, Carroll County Memorial Hospital
- Ann Schlueter, CEO, Community Hospital - Fairfax
- Laura Smith, CEO, Ellett Memorial Hospital
- Meagan Weber, CEO, Scotland County Hospital
- Jill Williams, CEO, Samaritan Hospital
The Missouri Hospital Association is a nonprofit association in Jefferson City that represents 136 Missouri hospitals. In addition to representation and advocacy on behalf of its membership, the association offers continuing education programs on current health care topics and seeks to educate the public about health care issues.
